KR20180039133A - Robot system - Google Patents

Abstract

A robot system according to the present invention includes a master device for receiving an operation instruction from an operator, a slave arm, a storage device for storing operation sequence information defining a process performed by the slave arm, The control device determines whether the operation mode of the slave arm is set to the automatic mode, the manual mode, or the modified automatic mode, An operation control section for controlling the operation of the slave arm in accordance with the determined operation mode and a continuation determining section for determining whether or not to allow the continuation of the automatic mode, and in the process in which the slave arm is to be operated by the automatic mode, After the operation of the slave arm by the automatic mode is stopped at the predetermined step of the process by the control unit On the basis of the input signal received by the receiving unit, whether to continue the automatic mode. Accordingly, the slave arm can be properly operated in the process in which the slave arm is to be operated by the automatic mode.

Description

Robot system

The present invention relates to a robot system using a master slave type robot.

Industrial robots are being developed to automate tasks, save manpower, or improve efficiency of work. Industrial robots, for example, are robots that transport and assemble assembly parts (parts to be assembled, work), and are installed on a factory or the like. Here, when the assembly of the assembled parts is automatically performed by the robot, the positional relationship between each of the assembled parts and the assembled parts (products) is measured by the sensor, and a mechanism and control for matching the position and attitude of the robot with high precision are required . Particularly, even if the assembled parts or the assembled parts are large-sized parts, when the assembling work of the assembled parts is automatically performed by the robot, the positional relationship between the robot and the assembled parts or the positional relationship between the assembled parts and the assembled parts can be accurately grasped A large number of sensors are required. Furthermore, there is also a need for a sophisticated sensor recognition technology that enables high-precision measurement in a wide workspace. Therefore, even when the assembled part or the assembled part becomes a large part, when the assembling work is automatically performed by the robot, the cost is increased, and if a slight change occurs in the working environment, Can not be obtained, and errors or inadvertent interference occur in the assembling operation.

A remote operation control device capable of switching to a manual operation for operating a robot based on an operation instruction from an operator has been proposed when a change occurs in a working environment or the like when the robot is being automatically operated Patent Document 1). The remote operation control apparatus according to Patent Document 1 can detect the environmental model which is the basis of the automatic operation of the robot and deviate from the actual working environment by more than a certain amount and switch it from automatic operation to manual operation.

Japanese Patent Registration No. 3924495

An object of the present invention is to provide a robot system capable of appropriately operating a slave arm in a process in which a slave arm is to be operated by the automatic mode.

In order to solve the above problem, a robot system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a master device for receiving an operation instruction from an operator, and a slave device for performing processing of the step in a process including a plurality of steps And a control device for controlling the operation of the slave arm, wherein the control device receives the input signal and receives the input signal, Whether to set the operation mode of the slave arm to an automatic mode for operating based on the operation sequence information or a manual mode for operating based on an operation instruction inputted through the master device, The operation of the slave arm in operation is modified based on the operation instruction inputted through the corresponding master device And a continuation judging section for judging whether or not continuation of the automatic mode is to be permitted, wherein the automatic mode further comprises: In the process in which the slave arm is to be operated, after the operation control section stops the operation of the slave arm by the automatic mode in a predetermined step of the process, the continuation judging section judges, On the basis of the input signal received by the automatic transmission /

According to the above configuration, since the master device and the slave arm are provided, it is possible to send an operation instruction from the operator to the slave arm through the master device, and to perform a series of operations.

Further, since the control apparatus has the operation control section, it is determined whether the slave arm is to be in the automatic mode, the manual mode, or the corrected automatic mode, and the slave arm is controlled to operate in the proper operation mode .

In addition, since the control device has the continuation judging section, it is possible to judge whether or not continuation of the automatic mode is permitted in a predetermined step of the process in the process in which the slave arm is to be operated by the automatic mode. For this reason, for example, in the case where all the steps of the process can not be completed until the predetermined time by continuing the automatic mode as described above, or when the processing performed after the next step can not be performed with high accuracy in the automatic mode, The operation mode of the arm can be changed to another mode such as manual or corrected automatic mode and the processing can be continued. In addition, when assembling a multi-product product on the same production line, even when it is difficult to assemble in the automatic mode depending on the product number, the operation mode of the slave arm can be changed to another mode such as manual or correction automatic mode have.

On the other hand, when the processing is appropriately performed according to the operation of the slave arm by the automatic mode, the operation of the slave arm can be continued without changing the automatic mode.

Therefore, the robot system according to the present invention produces an effect that the slave arm can be appropriately operated in the predetermined process of operating the slave arm by the automatic mode.

A robot system according to a certain aspect of the present invention is provided with an output device for outputting information to be notified to the operator in the above-described configuration, wherein in the predetermined step, the slave arm The output device outputs an inquiry as to whether or not to permit continuation of the automatic mode as the information to be notified to the operator by the output device, And may be configured to determine whether to continue the operation of the slave arm in the automatic mode based on the input signal received by the receiving unit in response to the output.

According to the above arrangement, since the output device is provided, the operator can inquire whether or not the operation of the slave arm by the automatic mode is permitted. In response to this inquiry, based on the input signal received by the receiving unit, the continuation determining unit can determine whether to continue the automatic mode.

Therefore, the robot system according to any form of the present invention can judge whether or not to allow the continuation of the automatic mode by reflecting the judgment of the operator.

The robot system according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above configuration, the master device includes a master arm for inputting an operation instruction to the slave arm and a switch or a mobile terminal for inputting the input signal good.

Here, the portable terminal may be, for example, a tablet terminal or the like.

According to the above configuration, since the input of the input signal can be performed by the switch or the portable terminal or the like, the operator can easily perform the input operation of the input signal.

The robot system according to a certain aspect of the present invention further includes a situation information acquisition unit that acquires situation information indicating the situation of the slave arm in the work space in the above configuration, And the continuation judging unit judges whether or not the operation of the slave arm by the automatic operation mode is suspended by the operation of the reception unit after the operation of the slave arm by the operation control unit is stopped at the predetermined step And may be configured to determine whether to continue the operation of the slave arm by the automatic mode based on the received status information.

According to the above configuration, since the status information acquisition unit is provided, the status of the slave arm in the work space in which the slave arm is working can be grasped. The state of the slave arm in the work space includes, for example, the position where the slave arm stops at the completion of the predetermined step, the posture in which the slave arm stops, or the completion time of the predetermined step.

The continuation judging section can judge whether or not continuation of the operation of the slave arm by the automatic mode is permitted based on the situation information received by the situation information obtaining section by the receiving section. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether or not to allow the continuation of the automatic mode in response to the state of the slave arm at the completion of the predetermined step. Since the continuation judging section can judge whether or not continuation of the automatic mode is permitted based on the situation information, the continuation judging section can omit the process of inquiring the operator as to whether or not to permit continuation of the automatic mode.

In a robot system according to a certain aspect of the present invention, in the above configuration, when the continuation determining unit determines that continuation of the operation of the slave arm by the automatic mode is not permitted, the output device notifies the operator Wherein the operation control unit is configured to output the inquiry of the operation mode of the slave arm as information to be transmitted to the slave arm based on the input signal received by the receiver in response to the output of the inquiry of the operation mode by the output device, And determine the operation mode of the slave arm after the next step of the predetermined step.

According to the above arrangement, the output device can inquire the operator of the new operation mode to output the inquiry of the operation mode of the slave arm. In response to the output of the inquiry, the operation control unit can determine the operation mode based on the input signal received by the receiving unit. Therefore, the operation mode is changed to the operation mode reflecting the instruction of the operator, and in the step after the predetermined step, the slave arm can be operated in this operation mode after the change.

In a robot system according to a certain aspect of the present invention, in the above-described configuration, the output device may be configured to output inquiries about the operation mode of the slave arm by sound, light, or vibration.

Since the output form from the output device can be sound, light, or vibration, it is possible to inquire about the operation mode of the slave arm in an appropriate form for the operator.

The present invention is constituted as described above, and produces an effect that the slave arm can be appropriately operated in a scheduled process in which the slave arm is operated by the automatic mode.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration of a robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional structure of a controller included in the robot system shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
3 is a diagram showing an example of the operation sequence of the robot system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a slave arm for performing an operation according to the operation sequence shown in FIG. 3. FIG.
5 is a flowchart showing an example of operation processing in each of the master device, the control device, and the slave arm that performs the operation sequence shown in Fig.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of operation processing in each of the master device, the control device, and the slave arm that performs the operation sequence shown in FIG. 3;
7 is a diagram showing an example of the operation sequence of the robot system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a slave arm for performing an operation according to the operation sequence shown in FIG. 7;
9 is a flowchart showing an example of operation processing in each of the master device, the control device, and the slave arm that performs the operation sequence shown in Fig.
10 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation process in each of the master device, the control device, and the slave arm that performs the operation sequence shown in Fig.
11 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation sequence of the robot system according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation sequence of the robot system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

 (Outline of the present invention)

The present inventors have studied a system for realizing cooperative work between a human and a robot. Particularly, a system for realizing cooperative work between a human and a robot using a robot system using a master slave robot composed of a master device and a slave robot having a slave arm has been studied.

First of all, a robot system using a master slave robot can perform a series of processes. Particularly, in a process in which the above-described advanced sensor recognition technology or the like is required during operation, a slave arm is operated in a manual mode in accordance with an operation instruction from an operator, which is input through a master device, It is conceivable to operate in the automatic mode.

However, after the slave arm is operated in the automatic mode up to the predetermined step in the scene (scene) in which the slave arm is operated in the automatic mode in a plurality of steps, it is possible to continue the automatic mode as it is, It may be necessary to judge whether or not it is necessary.

Here, in the conventional remote operation apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, when there is an unexpected obstacle in the working environment, in other words, when an abnormality occurs in the working environment, the abnormality is detected, Can be switched from automatic operation to manual operation. However, the conventional remote operation apparatus does not consider a configuration for determining whether or not continuation of the automatic mode is allowed after operating the slave arm by the automatic mode up to a predetermined step of a certain process . It has been noted that the conventional remote operation apparatus is not considered in the configuration for determining the continuation of the automatic mode and inquiring the operator about switching from the automatic mode to the separate operation mode .

Therefore, the inventor of the present invention has repeatedly studied these problems, and as a result, obtained the following knowledge. That is, when the slave arm performs the step of a plurality of steps by the automatic mode, the control device for controlling the operation of the slave arm stops the operation of the slave arm by the automatic mode in the predetermined step, Input standby state. Based on the input signal, the control device determines whether or not the automatic mode is to be continued. When it is determined that the automatic mode is not to be continued, the control device is configured to wait for an instruction to switch the operation mode from the operator.

Accordingly, in the operation of the slave arm by the automatic mode, whether or not continuation of the automatic mode is confirmed, and when it is determined that the automatic mode is not continued, the operator can inquire an appropriate operation mode.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and redundant explanations thereof are omitted.

 (Embodiments)

First, a robot system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration of a robot system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The robot system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is a system using a master slave robot. That is, in the robot system 100, an operator located at a position away from the work space (outside the work space) causes the master arm 2 provided in the master device 9 to move, for example, The arm 1 performs an operation that follows the motion, and a specific operation can be performed. Furthermore, in the robot system 100, the slave arm 1 can automatically perform a predetermined operation without operating the master arm 2 by the operator.

In this specification, an operation mode for operating the slave arm 1 in accordance with an operation instruction (command) input through the master arm 2 is referred to as " manual mode ". The " manual mode " also includes a case where the operator operates the master arm 2 to automatically correct a part of the operation of the slave arm 1 during operation based on the input operation instruction. For example, the case of performing this motion correction can be exemplified by the following operations. In other words, the movement of the slave arm 1 may also be shaken due to hand shaking of the operator in the manual mode setting. In such a case, the movement of the slave arm 1 is automatically corrected so as to prevent the occurrence of tremor.

In this specification, an operation mode in which the slave arm 1 is automatically operated according to a preset task program is referred to as " automatic mode ".

Furthermore, in the robot system 100 of the present embodiment, when the slave arm 1 is operating in the automatic mode, the operation instruction inputted through the master arm 2 is reflected in the operation instruction of the slave arm 1 , So that the operation to be performed automatically can be modified. In this specification, the operation mode in which the slave arm 1 is operated in accordance with the preset task program in a state in which the operation instruction inputted through the master arm 2 can be reflected is referred to as "correction automatic mode". The above-described " automatic mode " means that the operation of the master arm 2 is not reflected in the operation of the slave arm 1 when the operation mode for operating the slave arm 1 is the automatic mode, Automatic mode ".

(Configuration of robot system according to the embodiment)

1, the robot system 100 includes a slave robot 10, a master device 9, an output device 4, a situation information acquisition section 5, and a storage device 6 Respectively. 1, although not shown in the drawings, the robot system 100 is provided with a monitor display device for confirming the operation status of the slave arm 1 by the operator, A monitor camera is further provided. The monitor display device is installed in a space where the master device 9 is installed and the monitor camera is located in a space where the slave arm 1 is installed. Respectively.

(Configuration of slave robot)

The slave robot 10 has an end effector (not shown) mounted on the slave arm 1 and the slave arm 1 and a slave arm 1 and an end effector, And a control device 3 for controlling the operation of the apparatus.

(Slave arm)

The slave arm 1 carries out processing of the step in a process including a plurality of steps. That is, a certain work is constituted by a plurality of steps in which the operation mode of the slave arm 1 is set, and each step includes a plurality of steps. Then, the slave arm 1 carries out the processing of this step in the set operation mode.

The slave arm 1 includes a base 15, an arm 11 supported by the base 15, a wrist 11 supported by the tip of the arm 11, (14). The slave arm 1 is a articulated robot having three or more joints JT1 to JT6 as shown in Fig. 1, and is constructed by sequentially connecting a plurality of links 11a to 11f. More specifically, in the first joint JT1, the base 15 and the proximal end of the first link 11a are rotatably connected around an axis extending in the vertical direction. In the second joint JT2, the distal end of the first link 11a and the proximal end of the second link 11b are rotatably connected around an axis extending in the horizontal direction. In the third joint JT3, the distal end portion of the second link 11b and the proximal end portion of the third link 11c are rotatably connected around an axis extending in the horizontal direction. In the fourth joint JT4, the distal end of the third link 11c and the proximal end of the fourth link 11d are rotatably connected around an axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the fourth link 11d. In the fifth joint J5, the distal end of the fourth link 11d and the proximal end of the fifth link 11e are rotatably connected around an axis orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the link 11d. In the sixth joint JT6, the distal end portion of the fifth link 11e and the proximal end portion of the sixth link 11f are connected so as to be twisted and rotatable. A mechanical interface is provided at the distal end of the sixth link 11f. The end effector corresponding to the work content is detachably mounted on the mechanical interface.

The link composed of the first joint JT1, the first link 11a, the second joint JT2, the second link 11b, the third joint JT3, and the third link 11c, By the connecting body, the arm portion 13 of the slave arm 1 is formed. A link composed of the fourth joint JT4, the fourth link 11d, the fifth joint JT5, the fifth link 11e, the sixth joint JT6, and the sixth link 11f, The wrist portion 14 of the slave arm 1 is formed by the joint of the joints.

The joints JT1 to JT6 are provided with drive motors M1 to M6 as an example of an actuator for relatively rotating the two members to which the joints JT1 to JT6 are connected. The drive motors M1 to M6 are, for example, servo motors that are servo-controlled by the control device 3. [ The joints JT1 to JT6 are provided with rotation sensors E1 to E6 (see Fig. 3) for detecting the rotation positions of the drive motors M1 to M6 and rotation of the drive motors M1 to M6 Current sensors C1 to C6 (see Fig. 3) for detecting current are provided. The rotation sensors E1 to E6 are, for example, encoders. In the descriptions of the drive motors M1 to M6, the rotation sensors E1 to E6 and the current sensors C1 to C6 described above, alphabets correspond to the respective joints JT1 to JT6 Subscripts 1 through 6 are attached. Hereinafter, in the case of representing any one of the joints JT1 to JT6, subscripts are omitted and referred to as " JT ", and the same applies to the drive motor M, the rotation sensor E, and the current sensors C1 to C6 to be.

The configuration of the slave arm 1 is merely an example, and the configuration of the slave arm 1 is not limited to this. The slave arm 1 is suitably configured in accordance with the work contents and the work space to be performed using the slave arm 1 The configuration is changed.

(Control device)

Next, a control device 3 for controlling the operation of the slave arm 1 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional structure related to the control device 3 provided in the robot system 100 shown in Fig.

The control device 3 controls the operation of the slave arm 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the function block includes a receiving section 40, a control device 41, an output control section 42, (46). The control device 3 includes an arithmetic unit (not shown) formed of a microcontroller, an MPU, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), a logic circuit and the like, and a memory unit . Each functional block included in the control device 3 may be realized by reading and executing a control program stored in the memory unit of the calculation unit of the control device 3. [

The receiving section 40 receives an input signal transmitted from the outside of the control apparatus 3. [ The input signal received by the receiving section 40 includes, for example, a signal (operation input signal) transmitted from the master device 9 or a signal transmitted from the situation information acquisition section 5.

The operation control unit 41 determines whether the operation mode of the slave arm 1 is an automatic mode in which operation is performed based on the operation sequence information 51, Or a modified automatic mode in which the operation of the slave arm in operation in the automatic mode is modified based on an operation instruction inputted through the master arm 2 of the master device 9 . Then, the operation of the slave arm 1 is controlled according to the determined operation mode.

For example, when the receiving section 40 receives an operation input signal indicating an operation instruction for the next process from the master device 9 as an input signal, the operation control section 41 triggers the operation input signal, The operation mode of the next process performed by the slave arm 1 may be determined. The operation control section 41 refers to the operation sequence information 51 stored in the storage device 6 as the operation mode in the next step of the slave arm 1 .

The operation control unit 41 controls the slave arm 1 to operate in the determined operation mode upon determining the operation mode. The operation control unit 41 reads out the operation sequence information 51 and executes the operation specified by the operation sequence information 51 when the slave arm 1 is determined to be operated in the automatic mode 1). On the other hand, when the operation control unit 41 determines that the slave arm 1 is operated in the manual mode, the slave arm 1 is operated so that the master arm 2 operates based on the operation instruction received by the receiving unit 40 . When the operation control unit 41 determines that the slave arm 1 is in the correction automatic mode, the operation in the automatic mode of the slave arm 1 is performed based on the operation instruction input through the master arm 2 And controls the slave arm 1 so as to make the modified operation.

When the slave arm 1 is operated in the automatic mode, the operation control unit 41 transmits information indicating the end of the automatic mode to the output control unit 42 at the end of the operation in the automatic mode There may be.

The output control unit 42 controls the output device 4 and outputs information to be notified to an operator or the like. For example, when the operation control unit 41 receives the information indicating the end of the automatic mode, the output control unit 42 controls the output device 4 to output the information. The output device 4 may be configured so as to display a notification of termination of the automatic mode of the slave arm 1 in response to a control instruction from the output control section 42, . In such a configuration, the operator can grasp the end of the operation of the slave arm 1 in the automatic mode.

Furthermore, the output control unit 42 may be configured to control the output apparatus 4 so as to output the situation information when the situation information acquisition unit 5 receives the situation information. Even when configured in this manner, when the output device 4 is a display device, it is possible to display the operation status of the slave arm 1 in the output device 4. [ Therefore, the operator can monitor the operation status of the slave arm 1 and the like.

(Situation information acquisition unit)

The situation information acquisition unit 5 acquires the situation information showing the situation in the work space of the slave arm 1. [ The situation information includes information used to recognize the position or attitude of the slave arm 1 in the work space or the surrounding situation surrounding the slave arm 1. [ More specifically, the situation information includes, for example, the position or attitude of the slave arm 1 in the work space, the positional relationship between the slave arm 1 and the work, or the positional relationship between the slave arm 1 and the work Information necessary for making it possible to recognize the situation of the slave arm 1 and the surroundings of the slave arm 1 in the work space, such as the positional relationship with the assembled parts. The situation information acquisition section 5 can be implemented by, for example, a sensor, a photographing apparatus, a communicator, an encoder, or the like. As the sensor, for example, a laser sensor or a radar sensor for measuring the distance or position to a work (assembly part) or an assembled part can be exemplified. Furthermore, a stereo camera, which is a sensor for measuring the distance from the slave arm 1 to an object around it, can be exemplified by using image data obtained from a plurality of photographing apparatuses. Examples of the communication device include a work (assembly part) or an assembled part, a sensor installed at a predetermined position in the work space, and a communicator that acquires information from the photographing device. As the encoder, for example, an encoder capable of detecting the movement amount or position of the slave arm 1 can be exemplified.

The situation information acquired by the situation information acquisition section 5 may be stored in the form of the position and / or posture of the slave arm 1 within the work space as described above, or the circumstance surrounding the slave arm 1 The present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, the situation information acquired by the situation information acquisition section 5 may be information indicating the elapsed time of the work performed in the slave arm 1, for example. When the situation information is information indicating the elapsed time of the work performed by the slave arm 1, the situation information acquisition unit 5 acquires the situation information from the slave arm 1, .

The situation information acquisition section 5 sequentially acquires the situation information and the acquired situation information is inputted to the control device 3 and used for control of the operation of the slave arm 1 in the control device 3. [ Furthermore, the control device 3 may be configured to control the output device 4 to output the status information. The situation information acquisition section 5 may be attached to the slave arm 1 itself or may be attached at an appropriate position in the work space. The number of attached status information acquisition units 5 may be one or more. It suffices that an appropriate number of the situation information acquisition units 5 are attached at positions where appropriate situation information can be obtained, and the attachment positions and the number of attachment are arbitrary.

(Output device)

The output device 4 outputs information transmitted from the control device 3 and can be realized by, for example, a display device, a speaker, a light, a printer, a vibration generating device, or the like. For example, when the output apparatus 4 is a display apparatus, the output apparatus 4 displays information transmitted from the control apparatus 3. [ For example, when the output device 4 is a speaker, the output device 4 outputs information transmitted from the control device 3 as sound. When the output device 4 is a light device, the output device 4 outputs information transmitted from the control device 3 as light. When the output device 4 is a vibration generating device, the output device 4 outputs information transmitted from the control device 3 as vibration. The output device 4 is installed at an appropriate position where the operator of the master device 9 can detect the outputted information.

(Storage device)

The storage device 6 is a readable and writable recording medium and stores operation sequence information 51 of the robot system 100. [ The operation sequence information 51 is a task program that specifies the operation of the slave arm 1 and includes information about the operation sequence defining the processing of each step performed by the slave arm 1 in the work space . Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the robot system 100 according to the present embodiment is information in which the operation sequence of the operation order and the operation mode of the slave arm 1 is associated with the operation flow of each process. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an operation sequence of the robot system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The storage device 6 may also store the predetermined orbit information (not shown) indicating the predetermined orbit range of the slave arm 1. [ The scheduled trajectory information can be exemplified by time series information such as the position and posture of the slave arm 1 that is scheduled to be carried out for each step of a series of operations. Thus, in the case of the configuration in which the predetermined trajectory information is stored in the storage device 6, it can be used to detect whether or not the slave arm 1 is out of the predetermined trajectory range.

In the robot system 100 according to the embodiment, the storage device 6 is provided separately from the control device 3, but may be provided integrally with the control device 3 .

 (Master device)

The master device 9 is provided outside the work space and receives an operation instruction from an operator. The master device 9 includes a master arm 2 and an operation instructing section 7.

In the robot system 100, when the operator moves the master arm 2, the slave arm 1 follows the movement of the master arm 2 and moves. Since the master arm 2 has a similar structure to the slave arm 1, the description of the configuration of the master arm 2 is omitted. However, the master arm 2 may be an input device (joystick) having a non-similar structure with the slave arm 1, for example, a direction input by a lever.

By the operator moving the master arm 2, the manual operation information is generated and sent to the control device 3. [ In the robot system 100 according to the present embodiment, when the operation mode for operating the slave arm 1 is the manual mode, an operation pressure signal as an input signal inputted through the master arm 2 is inputted to the control device 3, And the slave arm 1 follows the movement of the master arm 2 and moves by the operation instruction from the control device 3 based on the operation input signal. For example, when the operation mode for operating the slave arm 1 is the correction automatic mode, the operation input signal is sent from the master arm 2 to the control device 3, and the control from the control device 3 The operation of the slave arm 1 automatically being operated by the instruction is corrected by the operation input signal.

The operation instruction unit 7 receives an operation instruction from the operator when it is installed outside the work space as in the case of the master arm 2 and sends the received operation instruction to the control device 3 of the slave arm 1 as an operation input signal Is an input device for transmitting. As the operation instruction unit 7, an input switch for accepting an operation instruction of the operator, or a portable terminal such as a tablet can be exemplified.

The operation input signal transmitted from the master device 9 to the control device of the slave arm 1 is inputted to the operator through the operation instruction section 7 in addition to the signal inputted from the operator through the master arm 2 Signal may be included.

(Operation sequence of robot system)

Next, the operation sequence of the work composed of the series of processes performed by the robot system 100 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to Embodiments 1 and 2 described below.

In addition to the above-described Fig. 3, the operation sequence of the robot system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 6. Fig. Fig. 4 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a slave arm 1 that performs an operation according to the operation sequence shown in Fig. 5 and 6 are flowcharts showing an example of operation processing in each of the master device 9, the control device 3, and the slave arm 1 that performs the operation sequence shown in Fig.

In the first embodiment, the operation sequence of the robot system 100 is described taking the work of assembling the work to be assembled as an example. In this specification, the entire operation sequence shown in Fig. 3 is referred to as a job, and each process indicated by <1> to <5> in Fig. 3 is referred to as a process. The processing performed in each step is referred to as a step. &Lt; 1 > to < 5 > in Fig. 3 show the order of execution of each step in the operation.

Further, the robot system 100 is configured so that the slave arm 1 operates in accordance with the above-described operation sequence by executing the operation sequence information 51 as a task program. In the operation sequence relating to the operation of the first embodiment, the slave arm 1 performs the movement from the position where the work is stored to the vicinity of the work assembly position (assembly preparation position) by the automatic mode. When the slave arm 1 carries the work to the assembly preparation position, the assembly of the work to be assembled is complicated in positioning and assembling the assembly position. Therefore, the manual operation of the slave arm 1).

This operation sequence relating to the operation of the embodiment 1 is a process for designing a car (design) in which the object to be assembled is a vehicle body, the work A is a front seat, and the work B is a rear seat, Process. The object to be assembled can be referred to as an arm, and the work A can be applied to a speed reducer, and the work B can be used as a robot assembling process.

For the sake of convenience of explanation, the first to fourth embodiments will be described below as an example of assembling a workpiece to be assembled, but the work performed using the robot system 100 is not limited thereto . For example, a painting operation may be applied to a work. The painting operation can be exemplified by a painting operation in which the slave arm 1 paints a work carried in a painting area (not shown) by, for example, a conveyor apparatus (not shown). Alternatively, a painting operation in which the slave arm 1 is moved while painting the main body of a large-size apparatus such as an airliner can be exemplified.

First, as shown in Fig. 5, the operator operates the operation instructing unit 7 of the master device 9 to input a start signal (step S11). That is, the master device 9 transmits to the control device 3 a start signal instruction for instructing the start of the operation sequence as the operation input signal. In the control device 3, when the receiving section 40 is in the standby state of the operation input signal (start instruction signal) and the receiving section 40 receives the start instruction signal, the operation control section 41 controls the operation of the slave arm 1 And determines the operation mode (step S21). The operation control unit 41 may be configured to determine the operation mode of the slave arm 1 with reference to the operation sequence information 51 stored in the storage device 6. [ Alternatively, the operation control unit 41 may include information on the operation mode of the slave arm 1 in the next step in the start instruction signal transmitted from the master device 9, and even if the configuration is performed based on the information good.

When determining the operation mode based on the operation sequence information 51 shown in Fig. 3, the operation control section 41 determines the operation mode as follows. That is, in the operation sequence information 51, the operation mode of the slave arm 1 is set to the automatic mode in the operation sequence <1> which is the first step. Thus, the operation control unit 41 determines that the operation mode of the slave arm 1 is the automatic mode, and controls the slave arm 1 to operate in the automatic mode. As a result, the operation control unit 41 transmits a control instruction to the slave arm 1 so that the slave arm 1 performs each step of the operation sequence <1> with reference to the operation sequence information 51.

Specifically, in response to a control instruction (automatic mode) from the operation control unit 41, the slave arm 1 moves to a position of taking out (picking up and picking up) the work A and taking out the work A S31). The positional relationship between the work A and the object to be assembled and the slave arm 1 at this time becomes the state shown in Fig. 4 (a). When the work A is taken out, the slave arm 1 moves to the assembly preparation position while holding the work A as shown in Fig. 4B (S32). When the slave arm 1 is moved to the assembly preparation position, the operation instruction signal becomes a standby state (operation standby state) (S33). Here, the operation instruction signal is an operation input signal transmitted to the slave arm 1 through the master device 9 (master arm 2) when the slave arm 1 is operated in the automatic mode by the operator .

Whether or not the slave arm 1 has reached the assembling preparation position can be judged by the operation control section 41 based on the situation information acquired by the situation information acquisition section 5. [ 5, the arrow of the broken line extending from the rear stage of the step S32 of the slave arm 1 toward the front stage of the step S22 of the control device 3 indicates an arrow And the like.

When the operation control unit 41 confirms that the slave arm 1 has reached the assembly preparation position (step S22), the operation control unit 41 instructs the output control unit 42 to notify the operator that preparation for the assembly work is completed do. The output control section 42 controls the output device 4 in response to an instruction from the operation control section 41 to output information indicating completion of preparation of the assembly work (step S23). At this time, the reception section 40 And the operation input signal transmitted as an input signal from the master device 9 is in a standby state. 5, a broken-line arrow extending from the rear end of the step S23 of the control device 3 toward the front end of the step S12 of the master device 9 indicates the detection of the preparation completion notification by the operator have.

When the completion of preparation is notified by the output device 4, the operator inputs an instruction to switch the operation mode from the operation instructing section 7 of the master device 9, and thereafter the master arm 2 of the master device 9 To perform an operation input (step S12). As a result of these inputs, the operation mode switching signal from the operation instruction unit 7 and the operation input signal from the master arm 2 are transmitted to the control device 3, respectively. In the control device 3, when the receiving section 40 receives the mode switching signal, the operation control section 41 determines the operation mode of the slave arm 1 (step S24). The operation control unit 41 transmits a control instruction based on the operation input signal inputted through the master arm 92 to the slave arm 1 because the operation mode is the manual mode in the operation sequence of the next step. Thus, the slave arm 1 follows the operation of the master arm 2 and operates. Concretely, the slave arm 1 assembles the work A to the object to be assembled as shown in Fig. 4 (c) in accordance with the operation input signal inputted through the master arm 2 (step S34) . When the assembly of the work A is completed with respect to the object to be assembled, the operator operates the operation instructing section 7 of the master device 9 to input a work completion notification (step S13). The work completion signal is transmitted from the master device 9 to the control device 3 by inputting the work completion notification.

When the receiver 40 receives the operation completion signal, the controller 3 determines the operation mode of the slave arm 1 in the next step (step S25). The operation control section 41 may be configured to determine the operation mode of the slave arm 1 with reference to the operation sequence information 51 stored in the storage device 6. [ Alternatively, the operation control unit 41 may include information on the operation mode of the slave arm 1 in the next step in the job completion signal transmitted from the master device 9, and may be configured to be performed based on the information .

In the example of the operation sequence information 51 shown in Fig. 3, the operation mode is set to the automatic mode in the operation step <3> which is the next step. Therefore, the operation control section 41 determines that the operation mode is the automatic mode, refers to the operation sequence information 51, and instructs the slave arm 1 to perform the respective steps in the operation sequence, (1).

Specifically, the slave arm 1 is retracted from the assembly completion position of the work A in accordance with the control instruction from the operation control section 41 (step S35). Then, the slave arm 1 takes out the work B as shown in Fig. 4 (d) (step S36). When the work B is taken out, the slave arm 1 moves to the assembly preparation position while holding the work B as shown in Fig. 4 (e) (step S37). When the slave arm 1 is moved to the assembling preparation position, the operation instruction signal is in the standby state (step S38).

Whether or not the slave arm 1 has reached the assembly preparation position may be determined by the operation control section 41 based on the status information acquired from the situation information acquisition section 5 in the same manner as in step S32. 6, arrows indicated by dashed lines extending from the rear end of the step S37 of the slave arm 1 toward the front end of the step S26 of the control device 3 indicate the situation information acquisition by the control device 3. [

When the slave arm 1 is found to have arrived at the assembling preparation position (step S26), the operation control section 41 instructs the output control section 42 to instruct the operator to confirm that preparation for the assembly work is completed do. The output control section 42 controls the output device 4 to output information indicating completion of preparation for the assembly work (step S27). Thereafter, the receiving unit 40 is in the standby state of the operation input signal transmitted from the master device 9. [ 6, the broken line arrow extending from the rear end of the step S27 of the control device 3 toward the front end of the step S14 of the master device 9 indicates that the operator has output from the output device 4 Indicating that the preparation completion notification is being detected.

When the completion of preparation for assembling work B of the work B is notified in the output device 4, the operator uses the master arm 2 and the operation instructing section 7 of the master device 9 to issue an instruction to change the operation mode An operation input is performed (step S14). The operation mode change instruction and the operation input inputted through the master device 9 are transmitted to the control device 3 as the operation mode switching signal and the operation input signal. In the control device 3, when the receiving section 40 receives the operation mode switching signal and the operation input signal, the operation control section 41 determines the operation mode of the slave arm 1 in the next step (step S28) . In the example of the operation sequence information 51 shown in Fig. 3, the operation mode is set to the manual mode in the next operation sequence <4>. Thus, the operation control unit 41 determines that the operation mode is the manual mode, and transmits the control instruction (manual mode) to the slave arm 1 based on the operation input signal received from the master arm 2. [ Thereby, the slave arm 1 operates in accordance with the operation of the master arm 2. Concretely, the slave arm 1 assembles the work B to the object to be assembled as shown in Fig. 4 (f) according to the operation input from the master arm 2 (step S39). When the assembling of the work B to the object to be assembled is completed, the operator operates the operation instructing section 7 of the master device 9 to input a work completion notification (step S15). Then, the operation completion notification inputted by the operation instruction unit 7 is transmitted to the control device 3. [

When the receiving unit 40 of the control device 3 receives the operation completion signal, the operation control unit 41 determines the operation mode of the slave arm 1 in the next step (step S29). In the example of the operation sequence information 51 shown in Fig. 3, the operation mode is set to the automatic mode in the operation sequence <5>. Thus, the operation control section 41 determines that the operation mode is the automatic mode, and controls the slave arm 1 to automatically perform each step of the operation sequence of the next process.

Concretely, the slave arm 1 retreats (retreats) from the assembled position of the work A in accordance with the control instruction (automatic mode) from the operation control section 41 (step S40). Then, the slave arm 1 moves to the entire work completion position (step S41).

As described above, the robot system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention performs an operation sequence relating to a work composed of a series of steps. As a result, in the operation including the series of steps, for example, in the alternative operation, the slave arm 1 is operated in the automatic mode, and in a detailed operation or the like, the slave arm 1 is connected to the operation input from the operator And can be performed by a manual mode that operates in accordance with the present invention.

As described above, the determination of the operation mode by the operation control unit 41 is triggered by the receipt of the start instruction signal, the operation input signal, or the operation completion signal transmitted from the master device 9 by the receiver 40 , It may be determined by referring to the operation sequence information 51. [ Alternatively, information indicating an operation mode to be performed in the next process is included in the start instruction signal, the operation input signal, or the operation completion signal, and information indicating the operation mode included in these signals transmitted from the master device 9 The operation control section 41 may be configured to determine the operation mode. In the case where the operation control section 41 determines the operation mode based on the signal transmitted from the master device 9, the operation sequence information 51 stored in the storage device 6 stores information about the operation mode You do not need to include it.

In the above-mentioned operation sequence, the example in which the slave arm 1 performs the automatic operation from the first step (operation sequence <1>) has been described. As a result, the above-described operation sequence is an example of a sequence assuming that the control apparatus 3 is aware of the environment surrounding the slave arm 1 at the start of operation of the slave arm 1. However, it is also possible to assume that the control apparatus 3 does not have an alien expression for the environment surrounding the slave arm 1 at the start of operation of the slave arm 1. [ In such a case, first, the slave arm 1 may be moved to the position where the control device 3 is alienated by the manual mode, and thereafter, the operation sequence for switching from the manual mode to the automatic mode may be performed. In the following, an operation sequence in the case where the control device 3 does not have an alien expression for the environment surrounding the slave arm 1 at the start of the operation of the slave arm 1 as the second embodiment will be described .

(Example 2)

Next, the operation sequence of the robot system 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 7 to 10. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the operation sequence of the robot system 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 8 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the slave arm 1 that performs an operation in accordance with the operation sequence shown in Fig. 9 and 10 are flowcharts showing an example of operation processing in each of the master device 9, the control device 3, and the slave arm 1 that performs the operation sequence shown in Fig.

Embodiment 2 explains an operation sequence of the robot system 100 by taking as an example a work of grasping a predetermined work in an environment where a plurality of works are mixed in the work space and moving the work to a work place . The operation sequence <1> to <4> in FIG. 7 shows the operation sequence in the operation sequence. Further, in this operation sequence, the slave arm 1 carries out the gripping of the predetermined work among the mixed works by the manual operation according to the instruction from the operator. On the other hand, when the work is gripped, the slave arm 1 performs the movement to the work place by automatic operation.

This operation sequence relating to the work consisting of a series of processes can be applied, for example, as a slag or a large work such as a casting, which is not uniform in size in a working space of a bad environment, .

First, as shown in Fig. 9, the operator operates the master device 9 to input a start instruction (step S111). A start instruction signal for instructing the start of the operation sequence is transmitted from the master device 9 to the control device 3 by the input of the start instruction. In the control device 3, the receiving section 40 is in the waiting state of the operation input signal (start instruction signal). When the start instruction signal is transmitted from the master device 9 to the control device 3, the reception section 40 receives the start instruction signal.

In the control apparatus 3, when the receiving section 40 receives the start instruction signal, the operation control section 41 determines the operation mode of the slave arm 1 (step S121). In the first step, the operation mode <1>, the operation mode is set to the manual mode. For this reason, the operation control section 41 determines that the operation mode is the manual mode. Thereafter, the operator inputs the operation using the master arm 2 of the master device 9 (step S112). The operation input by the operator is transmitted to the control device 3 as an operation input signal through the master arm 2 of the master device 9. [ The control device 3 transmits a control instruction to the slave arm 1 based on the operation input signal received from the master arm 2. [ Thereby, the slave arm 1 operates in accordance with the operation of the master device 9. Specifically, the slave arm 1 grasps the work A as shown in Fig. 8 (a) in accordance with an operation input from the master device 9 (step S131). When the gripping of the work A is completed, the operator inputs the gripping completion notification through the operation instructing unit 7 of the master device 9 (step S113). The grasp completion signal is transmitted from the master device 9 to the control device 3 by inputting the grasp completion notification.

When the receiving section 40 of the control apparatus 3 receives the grasping completion signal, the operation control section 41 judges the operation mode of the slave arm 1 (step S122). In the example of the operation sequence information 51 shown in Fig. 7, the operation mode is set to the automatic mode in the operation step <2> which is the next step. For this reason, the operation control section 41 determines that the operation mode is the automatic mode, and controls the slave arm 1 to automatically perform each step of the operation sequence <2> with reference to the operation sequence information 51.

Specifically, the slave arm 1 moves to the work place while grasping the work A as shown in Fig. 8 (b) in response to a control instruction (automatic mode) from the operation control unit 41 Step S132). Then, the slave arm 1 places the gripped work A at a place where the workpiece is put, and enters the standby state of the operation instruction signal (step S133).

Whether or not the slave arm 1 has reached the work place can be judged by the operation control section 41 based on the situation information acquired from the situation information acquisition section 5. [ 9, the broken-line arrow extending from the rear end of the step S132 of the slave arm 1 toward the front end of the step S123 of the control device 3 indicates the acquisition of the situation information by the control device 3 Respectively.

When the operation control unit 41 confirms that the slave arm 1 reaches the place where the work is placed (step S123), it instructs the output control unit 42 to notify the operator that the movement of the work A is completed . The output control unit 42 controls the output device 4 in accordance with an instruction from the operation control unit 41 to output information indicating the completion of the movement of the work A (step S124). 9, a dotted line arrow extending from the rear end of step S124 of the control device 3 toward the front end of the step S114 of the master device 9 indicates the detection of the preparation completion notification by the operator.

When the output device 4 is notified of the completion of the movement, the operator inputs an operation mode switching instruction through the operation instruction unit 7 of the master device 9 and performs an operation input using the master arm 2 Step S114). As a result of these inputs, the operation mode switching signal from the operation instruction unit 7 and the operation input signal from the master arm 2 are transmitted to the control device 3, respectively. In the control unit 3, when the receiving unit 40 receives the mode switching signal, the operation control unit 41 determines the operation mode of the slave arm 1 in the next step (step S125). In the example of the operation sequence information 51 shown in Fig. 7, the operation mode is set to the manual mode in the next operation sequence <3>. Thus, the operation control section 41 determines that the operation mode is the manual mode, and transmits the control instruction (manual mode) to the slave arm 1 based on the operation input signal received from the master arm 2. [

Thereby, the slave arm 1 operates in accordance with the operation of the master arm 2. Specifically, the slave arm 1 grasps the work B as shown in Fig. 8 (c) in accordance with the operation input from the master arm 2 (step S134). When the gripping of the work B is completed, the operator inputs the gripping completion notification by operating the operation instructing unit 7 of the master device 9 (step S115). The grasping completion signal is transmitted from the master device 9 to the control device 3 by inputting the grasp completion notification.

When the receiving section 40 receives the grasping completion signal, the control device 3 judges the operation mode of the slave arm 1 in the next step in the control device 3 (step S126). The operation control section 41 may be configured to determine the operation mode of the slave arm 1 with reference to the operation sequence information 51 stored in the storage device 6. [ Alternatively, the operation control section 41 may include information on the operation mode of the slave arm 1 in the next step in the grasp completion signal transmitted from the master device 9, and may be configured based on the information good.

In the example of the operation sequence information 51 shown in Fig. 7, the operation mode is set to the automatic mode in the operation sequence <4>. Thus, the operation control section 41 determines that the operation mode is the automatic mode, and controls the slave arm 1 to automatically perform each step of the next process, that is, the operation sequence.

Specifically, the slave arm 1 moves to a place where the workpiece is held while grasping the workpiece B as shown in Fig. 8 (d) in accordance with a control instruction (automatic mode) from the operation control unit 41 (Step S135). Then, the slave arm 1 places the gripped work A at a place where a workpiece is to be placed, and the operation instruction signal is in a waiting state (step S136).

Whether or not the slave arm 1 has reached the place where the work is placed may be determined by the operation control unit 41 based on the situation information acquired from the situation information acquisition unit 5 in the same manner as in step S132.

When the operation control unit 41 confirms that the slave arm 1 has reached the work place (step S127), the output control unit 42 instructs the operator to notify that the movement of the work A has been completed do. The output control unit 42 controls the output device 4 to output information indicating the completion of the movement of the work B (step S128). 10, an arrow in dashed line extending from the rear end of the step S135 of the slave arm 1 toward the front end of the step S127 of the control device 3 indicates acquisition of the situation information by the control device 3 have. A dashed arrow extending from the rear end of the step S128 of the control device 3 toward the master device 9 indicates that the operator is detecting the movement completion notification output from the output device 4. [

The operation mode determination by the operation control unit 41 is triggered by reception of the operation input signal (start instruction signal, grasp completion signal, or the like) transmitted from the master device 9 by the receiving unit 40, Information 51 may be referred to. Or information indicating the operation mode to be performed in the next step is included in the operation input signal (start instruction signal, grasp completion signal, etc.), and based on the signal transmitted from these master devices 9, May determine the operation mode. In the case of the configuration in which the operation control section 41 determines the operation mode based on the signal transmitted from the master device 9, the information on the operation mode in the operation sequence information 51 stored in the storage device 6 You do not need to include it.

(Example 3)

[Continuous permission judgment and operation mode judgment]

In the above-described first and second embodiments, in the process in which the operation control unit 41 determines that the operation mode is the automatic mode, all the steps included in the process are operated by the slave arm 1 in the automatic mode Respectively. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and it is determined whether or not continuation of the operation of the slave arm 1 by the automatic mode is permitted depending on the operation status of the slave arm 1, The operation mode may be changed from the automatic mode according to the operation mode.

For example, in the first embodiment, when the slave arm 1 is retracted from the assembly completion position by the automatic mode in the step S35 shown in Fig. 5, the slave arm 1 continues to the next It may be configured to determine whether or not the operation in step S36 can be carried out continuously in the automatic mode instead of performing the operation in step S36. In other words, the slave arm 1 may operate in the automatic mode up to the step S35, and the step after the step S36 may be determined to be able to continue the automatic mode. The permission determination timing of continuing the automatic mode is not limited to the step S35. The continuation permission determination timing of the automatic mode is suitably performed at a position before performing the predetermined step based on the contents of the step performed by the slave arm 1. [

In the case of performing the painting work as described above (as described above) in the operations of the first and second embodiments, the process in which the slave arm 1 is to be operated by the automatic mode is set to, for example, So that the slave arm 1 is scheduled to be painted on the work. In this step, it is possible that the timing of continuous permission determination of the automatic mode is made, for example, when the slave arm 1 is painted to a predetermined position on the painting surface by the automatic mode. In this case, the step to be subjected to the continuous permission determination of the automatic mode is the step of painting performed by the slave arm 1 with respect to the painting surface after the predetermined position.

Hereinafter, with reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 11, it is assumed that, in the process in which the slave arm 1 is to be operated in the automatic mode, when performing the steps after the predetermined step included in the process, As a third embodiment of the present invention.

11 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation sequence of the robot system according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 11, the operation of the robot system according to the third embodiment will be described by taking a plurality of steps included in the process sequence shown in Fig. 3 as an example. Therefore, steps S235 and S237 to S239 performed by the slave arm 1 in Fig. 11 correspond to steps S35 to S38 performed by the slave arm 1 in Figs. Note that step S225 performed by the control device 3 in Fig. 11 corresponds to step S25 performed by the control device 3 in Fig. Therefore, the detailed description of these steps is omitted.

First, in step S225, the operation control unit 41 of the control device 3 determines the operation mode with respect to the process that the slave arm 1 is scheduled to perform next. In the example of the operation sequence information 51 shown in Fig. 3, the operation mode is set to the automatic mode in the operation sequence <3> of the next step. Thus, the operation control section 41 determines that the operation mode is the automatic mode. The operation control unit 41 controls the slave arm 1 so that each step of the operation sequence can be executed in the automatic mode by transmitting the control instruction (automatic mode) to the slave arm 1. [ In accordance with the control instruction from the operation control unit 41, the slave arm 1 automatically retreats from the assembly completion position of the work A (step S235).

Next, the operation control unit 41 detects that the slave arm 1 is retracted from the assembly completion position and moved to a predetermined position, based on the situation information acquired by the situation information acquisition unit 5. [ After this detection, the operation control section 41 instructs the output control section 42 to inquire whether or not to permit continuation of the automatic mode. In accordance with an instruction from the operation control unit 41, the output control unit 42 controls the output device 4 to output an inquiry as to whether or not to allow the continuation of the automatic mode (step S226). At this time, the operation control section 41 temporarily stops the operation of the slave arm 1 by the automatic mode, and waits for the operation standby state (step S236). The receiving section 40 of the control device 3 is in the standby state for the operation input signal transmitted from the master device 9. [

11, a broken-line arrow extending from the rear end of the step S235 of the slave arm 1 toward the front end of the step S236 of the control device 3 confirms that the slave arm 1 has moved to a predetermined position And the status information for use by the control device 3 is received. 11, a broken line arrow extending from the rear end of step S226 of the control device 3 toward the front end of the step S210 of the master device 9 indicates an inquiry to the operator as to whether the continuation of the automatic mode is permitted or not .

When the output device 4 is notified of whether or not continuation of the automatic mode is to be permitted, the operator operates the operation instructing section 7 of the master device 9 to instruct the output device 4 to issue an instruction (Step S210). The instruction information input through the operation instruction unit 7 is transmitted to the control device 3 as an operation input signal. In the control device 3, when the receiving section 40 receives the operation input signal, the continuation determining section 46 determines whether continuation of the operation of the slave arm 1 by the automatic mode is permitted (step S227). Then, the continuation determining section 46 notifies the operation control section 41 of the determination result. The operation control section 41 determines the operation mode of the slave arm 1 based on the determination result notified from the continuation determining section 46 (step S228), and controls the slave arm 1 to operate in the determined operation mode . For example, when the determination result notified from the continuation determination section 46 permits continuation of the automatic mode, the operation control section 41 keeps the operation mode of the slave arm 1 in the automatic mode, To the corresponding slave arm 1 so as to be continuously operated in the automatic mode.

On the other hand, when the determination result notified from the continuation determining section 46 does not permit continuation of the operation of the slave arm 1 by the automatic mode, the operation control section 41 sets the operation mode of the slave arm 1 Manual mode or correction automatic mode. When the operation mode of the slave arm 1 is referred to as a manual mode, the operation control unit 41 controls the slave arm 1 to operate in the manual mode in accordance with the operation input signal from the master arm 2 received by the receiving unit 40. [ (1). Alternatively, when the operation mode of the slave arm 1 is set to the corrected automatic mode, the operation control unit 41 controls part of the operation of the slave arm 1 in the automatic mode by the operation input signal from the master arm 2 And controls the slave arm 1 so as to operate.

When the determination result notified from the continuation determining section 46 permits continuation of the automatic mode, the slave arm 1 automatically takes out the work B (step S237) and moves to the assembly preparation position S238) is performed, and the operation standby state for the next step (step S239) is reached.

On the other hand, when the determination result notified from the continuation determining section 46 does not permit the continuation of the automatic mode, the slave arm 1 performs, for example, the extraction of the work B by the manual mode or the correction automatic mode (Step S238), and the operation standby state for the next step (step S239) is reached. Or when the determination result notified from the continuation determining section 46 does not permit continuation of the operation of the slave arm 1 by the automatic mode, the slave arm 1 does not perform the steps S237 to S239, State.

In the third embodiment, an inquiry is made to the operator as to whether or not continuation of the automatic mode is permitted. Based on the operation input signal inputted through the operation instructing section 7 of the master device 9, A determination is made as to whether or not continuation is possible, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The continuation determining unit 46 determines whether or not to continue the automatic mode based on the situation information acquired by the situation information acquiring unit 5 without inquiring the operator about whether or not to allow continuation of the automatic mode .

For example, in the case where the continuation determining section 46 determines whether or not continuation of the automatic mode is permitted before the predetermined step is performed according to the progress status of each step in the process performed by the slave arm 1 . More specifically, it is assumed that the robot system 100 is provided with a state information acquiring section 5 that has a metering section for measuring the completion time of each step performed by the slave arm 1. Then, before the predetermined step (take-out of the work B in the example of Fig. 11), the time before the step (withdrawn from the assembled position in the example of Fig. 11) is completed and the completion time (The standard time spent in processing the previous step) is compared. If the difference exceeds the predetermined range, the continuation determining unit 46 determines not to allow continuation of the automatic mode. On the other hand, when the retraction completion time from the assembly position is compared with the retirement completion time (standard time until completion of retraction) from the predetermined assembly position, and the retention completion time is within the predetermined range, May be allowed to continue. In such a configuration, step S226 performed by the control device 3 and step S210 performed by the master device 9 in FIG. 11 can be omitted.

In the case where the situation information obtaining section 5 is provided with a sensor for detecting the position of the slave arm 1 in the work space, based on the result detected by the sensor, It may be configured to determine whether or not the automatic mode 46 permits continuation of the automatic mode. More specifically, based on the detection result of the above-described sensor, it is determined in step S235 whether or not the slave arm 1 is retracted within a predetermined range. If it is determined that the slave arm 1 is not retracted within a predetermined range, the continuation determining section 46 does not permit continuation of the automatic mode. On the other hand, when it is determined that the slave arm 1 is present within the predetermined range, the continuation determining section 46 may be configured to allow continuation of the automatic mode.

(Example 4)

[Configuration to inquire about operation mode]

The robot system 100 according to the third embodiment inquires of the operator whether or not the control device 3 permits continuation of the automatic mode in step S226 shown in Fig. 11, and judges the operation mode in step SS27 Respectively. In the robot system 100 according to the fourth embodiment, as shown in Fig. 12, when the continuation of the automatic mode is not permitted in the operation sequence of the robot system 100 according to the third embodiment shown in Fig. 11 , And makes a configuration capable of inquiring the operator of the new operation mode. Then, the operation control unit 41 determines the operation mode of the slave arm 1 based on the input from the operator in accordance with the inquiry, and controls the slave arm 1 to operate according to the determined operation mode. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation sequence of the robot system 100 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 12, the operation sequence of the robot system 100 according to the fourth embodiment is similar to the operation sequence of the robot system 100 according to the third embodiment shown in Fig. 11, (Step S328) for making an inquiry about the operation mode, and a step (step S311) for performing the mode designation input by the master device 9 (operator) in accordance with this step. Therefore, only the step S328 in the operation flow of the control device 3 and the step S331 in the operation flow of the master device 9 in Fig. 12 will be described, and the description of the other steps will be omitted.

If the continuation determining section 46 of the control device 3 determines in step S327 that continuation of the automatic mode is not permitted, the operation control section 41 sets the operation mode in which the slave arm 1 operates (Step S328). More specifically, the operation control section 41 instructs the output control section 42 to inquire about the operation mode of the slave arm 1. In accordance with an instruction from the operation control unit 41, the output control unit 42 controls the output device 4 to output the inquiry of the operation mode (operation mode inquiry information) (step S328). At this time, the receiving section 40 of the control device 3 is in the waiting state of the operation input signal (mode designation input signal) transmitted from the master device 9. [

In Fig. 12, a broken-line arrow extending from the rear end of step S328 of the control device 3 toward the front end of the step S311 of the master device 9 indicates that the operator detects an inquiry about the operation mode.

When the output device 4 is notified of an inquiry about the operation mode, the operator inputs a mode designation through the operation instruction section 7 of the master device 9 (step S311). The mode designation input by the operation instruction unit 7 is transmitted to the control device 3 as a mode designation input signal. In the control device 3, when the receiving section 40 receives the mode designation input signal, the operation control section 41 judges the operation mode of the slave arm 1 (step S329). The operation control unit 41 controls the slave arm 1 to operate in the determined operation mode.

It is preferable that the form of inquiry of the operation mode by the output device 4 is appropriately selected according to the work environment of the operator and the work contents performed by the operator. For example, when the output device 4 is a speaker, the inquiry of the operation mode may be notified to the operator by sound. In the case where the output device 4 is a light, the operation mode may be inquired to the operator by light. Alternatively, when the output device 4 is a vibration generating device, it may be configured to inquire the operator of the operation mode by vibration.

From the above description, many modifications and other embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above description is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching the ordinary artisan the best mode for carrying out the invention. The details of the structure and / or the function thereof can be substantially changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

As described above, in the robot system 100 according to the present invention, the operation mode of the slave arm can be widely applied to a system having an automatic mode, a manual mode, and a modified automatic mode.

1: Slave arm
2: master arm
3: Control device
4: Output device
5: situation information acquisition unit
6: Memory
7:
9: Master device
10: Slave robot
40: Receiver
41:
42:
45:
46: continuation judgment section
51: Operation sequence information
100: Robot system

Claims (6)

A master device for receiving an operation instruction from an operator,
A slave arm for performing processing of a corresponding step in a process including a plurality of steps,
A storage device for storing operation sequence information defining the process performed by the slave arm;
And a control device for controlling the operation of the slave arm,
The control device includes:
A receiving unit for receiving an input signal;
Whether the operation mode of the slave arm is to be operated in an automatic mode for operating based on the operation sequence information or in a manual mode for operating based on an operation instruction inputted through the master device, An operation control section for determining whether to operate the slave arm in a modified automatic mode in which the operation of the arm is to be modified based on an operation instruction inputted through the master device and for controlling the operation of the slave arm in the determined operation mode,
And a continuation judging section for judging whether to continue the automatic mode,
After the operation control unit stops the operation of the slave arm by the automatic mode in a predetermined step of the process in the process in which the slave arm is to be operated by the automatic mode, Based on an input signal received by the receiving unit at the time of stopping the automatic mode. The method according to claim 1,
And an output device for outputting information to be notified to the operator,
After the operation control unit has stopped the operation of the slave arm by the automatic mode in the predetermined step, the output device must notify the operator of the inquiry as to whether or not to allow continuation of the automatic mode Respectively,
Wherein the continuation judging section judges whether or not to permit continuation of the operation of the slave arm by the automatic mode based on the input signal received by the receiving section in response to the output of the inquiry by the output device. 3. The method of claim 2,
The master device includes a master arm for inputting an operation instruction to the slave arm,
And a switch for inputting the input signal or a portable terminal. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a situation information acquiring section for acquiring situation information indicating a situation of the slave arm in the work space,
Wherein the reception unit receives the situation information acquired by the situation information acquisition unit as the input signal,
Wherein the continuation judging section judges whether or not the operation of the slave arm by the automatic mode is stopped by the operation control section after the operation of the slave arm by the automatic mode is stopped by the operation control section, And judges whether or not to allow continuation of the operation of the slave arm. The method according to claim 2 or 3,
When the continuation determining unit determines that the continuation of the operation of the slave arm by the automatic mode is not permitted, the output device outputs the inquiry of the operation mode of the slave arm as information to be notified to the operator,
The operation control section determines the operation mode of the slave arm after the next step of the predetermined step based on the input signal received by the receiving section in response to the output of the inquiry of the operation mode by the output device . 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the output device outputs inquiries of the operation mode of the slave arm by sound, light, or vibration.

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